Pump-regulating apparatus



Feb. 1o, 1,925'. .n

f R. FERRARI .-UMP REGULATING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 18, 1923 atroz nu@ v R. FERRARI PUMP REGULIATING APPARATUS -Filed-JanJ18, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 adifa Ferrara',

attorney,

iatented l: eb. 1G, i925., y

TE -TATE RODOLFO FERRARI, OF BUENOSAIB/ES, ARGENTINA.

PUMP-REGULATING AIEARLATUS.

Application filed January 18, 1923.

T0 all 107mm t may concer/1a:

Be it known that I, RODOLFO FERRARI, citizen or the Republic of Argentina., residing at Buenos Aires, Argentina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pump-Regulating Apparatus, of which the following is a speciiication.

The present invention relates to pumpregulating apparatus, and it proposes, briefly, an improved device for automatically controlling the inlet of steam into pumps utilizing such fluid for the impulsion or.' liquids or any kind.

According to the invention, a cylinder or chamber is provided containing a piston, the ste-m of which has attached to it the valve for controlling the passage of steam to the pump motor. This cylinder is in pipe connection with the impulse duct of the Diunp, and when the pressure or the liquid in said duct rises above a predetermined normal, the liquid will enter the cylinder and depress the steam valve, thereby shutting oir the supply of steam to the motor which operates the pump, with the result that the latter stops. As soon as the pressure decreases to an extent sutcient to enable a' compensating' spring to act, the piston and, hence,'thevailve, are slowly raised, the steam valve is gradually opened, the liquid in the aforesaid chamber is slowly expelled therefrom and the pump starts working again.v The expulsion of the liquidA takes place slowly, due to the pro-vision vof Ya bypass through which it is forced to pass, so that the start-ing of the motor is made very slow and progressive.l

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanyingy drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a vertical sectional viewA of the improved regulating device;

Figs. 2 and 3 are horizontal sections taken on lines .2*2 and 3 3, of Fig. '1, respectively; and

Fig. 4L is a front view of the steam valve.

Referring more particularly to said drawings, A indicates a valve casingl which is inserted between the steam'supply pipe and the pump and is p-rovided with inlet and 'outlet passages C and `D for the steam.

Communication between these passagesv is controlled by a valve B, here shown as of the balanced type, having annular ducts E for coaction withducts'YF formed in a partition which separatesthef steaminlet seriai no. 513,521.

and outlet. The precise structural details of the valve may, ofcourse, be varied, the form of valve illustrated being at present preferred.

The stem G or' valve B projects upward and passes axially through a cylindrical chamber T mounted on top of the casing A and containing a.V spiral compensating` spring Q., the tension of which can be adjusted by rotating ay nut R threaded on the outside of a stuiiing-box S. The latter is disposed centrally of chamber T, and the valve stem G extends through it; and on the other hand, it is encircled by spring Q which bears at its lower `end'upon nut R and at its upper end against the under side of a disk or collar P carried by stem G.

A second chamber or cylinder J is secured in the top of chamber T and conta-ius a piston l, the stem H of which alines with stem G and is suitably fastened thereto.`

The space K above piston I communicates directly with a short pipe or nipple Y which, in turn, is connected with the impulsion ory discharge duct or' the pump so that the liquid in said duct will thus be free to'iow through pipeV Y into space K when its pressure in the duct reaches a predetermined point. Thisv pipe4 Y is provided with an internal by-pass M' which opensat one end into the'bore of the pipe and at the other endinto' the 'lower' portion vof an annular enlargement of said bore. The enlargement provides' a valve seat for a check valve L preferablyv in the form oi? a ball, which, in one position, iits in said seat and, hence, prevents the liquid from ilo-wing back from space K through the pipe except by way of the by-pa-ss', and to control the flow of theY liquid through said by-pass, a screw N is provided which is mounted in a threaded, vertical opening lin the top of the pipe immediately above the by-pass end so as to move toward and from the same.

A screw V is mounted verticallyv in a threaded opening in the top of the cylinder or chamber J and projects into the space K so as to function as an adjustable stop to limit the upward movement'of piston I; and

-t the top ot1 chamber T there is arranged an outlet pipe O. The piston I, vas will be understood, closes communication between the chambers J and T, but it ispossible that some liquid may seep between the walls or the piston and its chamber, and it is to discharge this liquid that the"'pipe'FOis'pro-Y vided. The chamber T is devoid of communication with the interior of the valve casing A.

As explained above, the outlet l) ot the valve casing communicates by way of suitable passages, piping or the like not shown) with the pump motor, so that when valve B is open and comn'iunication between the ducts E and F is established. steam admitted to the casing through inlet C will be tree to pass through the casing and thence to the pump motor to actuate the pump. The connection between the impulsion or discharge. duct ot the pump and the pipe Y will enable some ot the liquid raised by the pump to iiow through pipe Y pastI the ball valve L, which is normally open` into the space K above piston l, so that the pressure of the liquid in said space will thus be the same as that in the impulsion duct ot the pump. Now it the pressure in said duct rises from any cause-iior example, the `gradual closing` oi1 the discharge opening of the duct--there will be a corresponding` rise in the pressure ot the liquid in space K, and it this increase in pressure progresses far enough, the piston I will be forced downward against the action of spring Q, thereby partially or entirely closing the steam valve B, with the result that. the steam supply to the pump motor is decreased, or sluit ott, thereby slowing down or stop-ping the operation of the pump.

When the discharge opening ot the pump is again opened, the pressure in the duct and, hence, in space. K will be instantly relieved, and the spring Q will then be enabled to torce piston I upward. This upward movement of the piston will tend to exhaust the liquid from space K, as will be apparent; but the pressure oit' the liquid, on the other hand, will raise ball L into its seat, thereby closing the passage through pipe Y except by way of the by-pass M. As the diameter of the b v-pass is quite small, as compared with the bore ot pipe Y, and as the outlet end of the by-pass can be constricted by means oi the needle valve or screw N, the flow ot the liquid through said by-pass will necessarily be very slow, and the upward or opening movement or" the steam valve B will be correspondingly retarded. Hence, the supply of fresh steam to the pump motor will be slow and gradual, and there will be a slow and progressive starting of the pump motor.

The nut R, previously referred to as Controlling the tension of spring S, may thus be regarded as regulating the working pressure within the impulsion duct or' thel pumpthat is to say, the pressure which the liquid must reach in order to depress piston l and close the steam valve. rlhe screw V mounted in the top of the piston chamber may, it desired, be turned down far enough to depress the piston, thereby keeping the steam valve closed and the steam supply shut oft from the pump motor in the event of any injury to the mechanism.

Itis to be observed, finally, that the motive agent acting on the piston l is not the steam supp-lied to the pump motor but the liquid actually raised or discharged by the pump itself. In other words, the space l which receives the aforesaid motive agent 1s connected with the outlet side ot the pump, and is entirely devoid oi connection with the steam supply.

l claim as my invention l. Pump-regulating apparatus, comprising a valve and valve casing tor controlling the supply ot motive fluid to the motor of a pump; a cylinder mounted upon the casing but devoid of communication therewith; a piston in said cylinder having its stem connected to said valve; a spring acting upwardly against said piston to normally hold the same in raised position and the valve open; a pipe opening into the top ot the cylindcr and adapted to be connected to the iinpulsion duct of the pump to supply the liquid which is being pumped to the cylinder above the piston, so as to automatically depress the latter 'and thereby close the valve when the pressure ot the liquid in said duct exceeds a predetermined normal, said pipe being provided with a. lay-pass otxr small cross-sectional area; and automaticallyacting means normally closing the ley-pass to permit the unobstructed 'fiow of the liquid from said duct through said pipe, but opening the by-pass when the pressure is relieved so as to cause the return flow of the liquid through said pipe to said duct to take place solely through said by-pass, thereby to retard the upward movement of the piston.

2. Fump-regulating apparatus, comprising a valve and valve casing for controlling the supply oft motive i'luid to the motor of a pump; a. cylinder mounted upon the casing but devoid of communication therewith; a piston in said cylinder having its stem oonnected to said valve; a spring act-ing upwardly against said piston to normally hold the same in raised position and the valve open; a. pipe opening into the top of the cylinder and adapted to be connected to the impulsion duct ot the pump to supply the liquid which is being pumped to the cylinder above the piston, so as to automatically depress the latter and thereby close the valve when the pressure of the liquid in said duct exceeds a predetermined normal, said pipe being provided with a by-pass of Small cross-sectional area, and with a circumferential enlargement into which one end et' the by-pass opens; and a ball valve normally disposed in said enlargement in position to close said ley-pass end and movable automatically by the pressure of the liquid b ehind it, when the pressure in said duct 1s relieved, into a position to close the bore of the pipe and open the by-pass thereby to cause the returning liquid to flow solely through the by-pa-ss.

3. Pump-regulating apparatus, comprising a valve casing adapted to be connected at its inlet side to a source of motive Huid supply, and at its outlet side to the motor of a pump; a controlling valve in said casing; a spring for normally holding the valve in open position; a cylinder adapt-ed to be connected with the discharge side of the pump to receive the liquid being pumped; a piston in said cylinder to be moved in one direction by the liquid in the cylinder when the pressure at the delivery side of the pump exceeds a predetermined normal; means for transmitting the movement oi' the piston to the valve to close the latter; a valve normally open to permit the liquid to flow freely into said cylinder, but closing automatically when the pressure is relieved so as to prevent the direct return liow of the liquid from said cylinder: and means for by-passing the returning liquid around the last-named valve, thereby to retard the flow of the liquid and insure a consequent slow movement of the piston and first-named valve in the other direction under the action of said spring, said by-pass mea-ns be pump; a cylinder mounted upon the casing but devoid of communication therewith; a piston in said cylinder having its stem connected to said valve; a spring acting upwardly against said piston to normally hold the same in raised position and the valve open; a pipe opening into the top yof the cylinder and adapted to be connected to the impulsion duct of the pump to supply the liquid which is being pumped to the cylinder above the piston, so as to automatically depress the latter and thereby close the valve when the pressure of the liquid in said duct exceeds a predetermined normal; said pipe having its bore provided, intermediate the ends thereof, with an annular enlargement, and with a by-pass of small cross-sectional area opening at one end into the lower portion of the enlargement and at the other end into said bore; and a ball valve normally disposed in the lower portion 'of said enlargement in position to close the firstE named by-pass end and thus enable the unobstructed flow of the liquid through the pipe bore, but movable automatically out of such position when the pressure is relieved into one in which it is disposed in line with said bore, so as to cause thel return flow of the liquid through said pipe to said duct to take place solely through said by-pass, thereby to retard the upward movement of the piston.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

RODOLFO FERRARI. 

